Scotland's capercaillie population has fallen again but experts are confident they will not die out for a second time.

A survey carried out by RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) recorded 1114 of the birds over the winter of 2015/16, a drop from 1285 during the last survey six years earlier.

The capercaillie is one of Scotland's most endangered species. It died out in Scotland in the 1700s but was reintroduced from Sweden and reached levels of between 20,000 and 50,000 by the mid-1900s.

However, numbers have declined again since 1970 due to predators, low levels of breeding, human disturbance and poor weather.

Despite the low numbers, experts are confident conservation measures will sustain the population.

Nick Wilkinson, a conservation scientist for RSPB Scotland, said: "The considerable conservation effort that has been directed at capercaillie for over two decades now has helped to prevent further population decline, and indeed has made a second extinction of this species from Scotland less likely.

"The country's capercaillie population has fluctuated between 1000 and 2000 birds since the first national survey in the 1990s but it's now very much at the low end of this scale.

"Capercaillie are restricted to only a few areas of the country and most are found in Strathspey, which highlights the importance of innovative conservation work in this area, in partnership with others, for their population to recover."

The birds are mainly found in pine woodlands across the Highlands, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Perthshire, but Strathspey holds about 83% of the remaining population.

Despite their size, capercaillie are said to be fairly elusive but are often spotted in spring in forest clearings where the males "strut their stuff" in the hope of attracting a mate.

The Cairngorms Capercaillie Project is one conservation drive helping the bird by creating bigger and better managed forests to support their survival.

SNH policy officer Sue Haysom said: "Vital conservation work such as establishing rich feeding areas for adults and chicks, promoting woodland creation in the right locations to increase habitat and carrying out targeted predator control around breeding sites has already brought benefits.

"Now we need to build on this with energy and innovative approaches developed by experts and local communities to ensure that future generations can experience this magnificent bird."